A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears

Everett Cline does not have a good track record when it comes to mail order brides. After three, he's still single, not willing to give it another try. Then Julia Lockwood steps off a train as a fourth bride for him. This time he had nothing to do with it. It was a neighbor who decided to bring her to Kansas to marry Everett.

Julia comes with her own baggage. She is coming from a relationship that did not work, a relationship that left her more wounded than Everett is aware. Will these two ever be able to move beyond the past to see the good in front of them?

Melissa Jagears does a good job supplying just enough information about the characters to keep you satisfied but not enough to make you want to put the book down. She makes you want to keep reading to find out the story with Julia and her ex-fiancé. The plot of this book unravels at an appropriate speed, and the characters are very relatable. They are genuine and multi-dimensional.

This book was provided by Bethany House Publishers in return for an honest review.

Rebellious Heart by Jody Hedlund

It's 1763.

Susanna Smith comes from a family of wealth and prestige and has been given everything she wants, except for an education. She does use her status to help out those less fortunate. Before she knows it, she finds herself in a dangerous mess after helping a poor young woman.

Benjamin Ross is not looked upon favorably by Susanna's family. After all, he's only a lawyer with no land or wealth to his name. He does have a passion for justice and an intolerance for the British military that finds themselves stationed in Massachusetts. When his path crosses with Susanna's desire to help a young woman, the two of them find themselves on a dangerous journey.

Rebellious Heart had a good balance of romance and action. I found the beginning to be slow, but after a few chapters the book took off. There were a few twists and turns along the way that keep you on your toes. The characters in this book were well developed and multi-faceted, helping to drive the plot in a natural progression. I did find there was a lot more sexual innuendoes and slight physical descriptions presented throughout the book than usually found in Christian fiction, which was a surprise to me. It was nothing explicit, but it certainly catches your attention. The author's note at the end of the book adds to the entire story. Jody did a great job weaving history into this fictional piece.

Bethany House Publishers provided a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Adoring Addie by Leslie Gould

A modern tale of star-crossed lovers. The Cramers and Mosiers have been two families against each other for a long time, so long that the younger generation doesn't even know why. They just go along with their parents' animosity...all except Addie Cramer and Jonathan Mosier, who fall in love with each other. The only problem is the Cramers expect Addie to marry Philip Eicher, a man with means but no passion for their daughter. Is there any way Addie and Jonathan can reconcile what happened years ago? To do that, they must first dig to find the source of all the tension, but will that cause even more problems?

This was a book that was easy to get into. The characters were believable, and I liked that not all of them were perfect. Sometimes that seems to be the case in Amish based fiction. Leslie Gould did a great job getting across this universal theme. Many times people have hatred towards others without even knowing why. It's just something that continues generation after generation because that's how the children are raised, but no explanation is given. She clearly showed the effects of that behavior.

Bethany House Publishers provided a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Secret Keeper by Beverly Lewis

Jenny Burns has always felt misplaced, like she was born in the wrong time period. Yearning for a simpler life brings her back to Lancaster County after corresponding with an Amish girl she befriended while visiting. She plans on joining the Amish church if she's able to making it through her proving time, but does she have what it takes? She's not the only one who feels misplaced, though. Everyone in Hickory Hollow has some type of secret to keep from someone else, but as with secrets, the truth always finds a way of escaping.

This book was a very enjoyable read and had an interesting concept of an Englisher wanting to join the Amish church. The surrounding theme of the intricacy of keeping secrets was a universal concept that everyone should be able to relate to and worked well as the hub of various sub-plots. While there was not an abundance in action to move the plot along, Beverly Lewis did a nice job making the chapters flow smoothly with more subtle events. All the events used had a particular purpose, and I didn't find any parts to drag on.

This book was reviewed for Bethany House Publishers.

A Simple Change by Judith Miller

When Jancey's mother's health continues to decline, she and her husband decide to move back to the Amana Colonies where they grew up, back to a simpler time. Jancey agrees to go with them because she wants to be by her mother's side and cherish the time they have left, however long it may be. Jancey's boyfriend, Nathan, does not want her to go. He doesn't see the appeal in this simple life. Moving to Amana means she will have to give up teaching because women are not allowed to be teachers in Amana. How will she decide which life she is better suited for?

This was an enjoyable read. The characters were relatable, and there was enough tension and uncertainty to carry the characters through each problem that arose. I was not familiar with the Amana Colonies before reading this book, so it was interesting to learn about this group's lifestyle during this time period. It would have been helpful if the author included an author's note at the end of the book to give additional background information on this group of people or where this idea came from.

This book was reviewed for Bethany House Publishers.

The Guardian by Beverly Lewis

While housesitting for her cousin in Lancaster County, Jodi goes for a run and finds a young Amish girl alone on the road. Little Sarah speaks no English, so the two are unable to communicate, but they build an incredible bond when Jodi is able to return Sarah to her family. Jodi begins to learn why people are so drawn to the Amish, but will an outsider truly be accepted by this group?

Usually I'm a fan of the books written by Beverly Lewis, but this book did not do it for me. I liked the concept, but my background knowledge got in the way. I live in Lancaster County, so I'm surrounded by the Amish. I was a little irritated by the fascination Jodi had with the Amish family. It's so typical, and I guess that makes it realistic, but it can be frustrating for me when people flock to see the Amish. They're people. It's not like they're aliens. It's almost as though there's too much attention brought to them, and I have seen enough of that in my day to day life that it wasn't enjoyable reading about it.

The sub plots in this book were also very predictable. I did not find there to be twists and turns along the way.

The book was reviewed for Bethany House Publishers.

Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell

When Lucy Kendall returns from her trip on the Continent, she finds that her father's candy business is struggling. So is his health. She wants to do anything she can to save both, and she won't let anyone get in her way.

Charlie Clarke comes to help his father's candy company, which is Lucy's father's biggest competition. He wants to leave everything behind him from Chicago where he fell in with a rough crowd in order to provide money for his family after his father left them. He now has a chance to reconnect with his father and enter into an entirely new way of life.

While Charlie and Lucy meet without knowing who the other is, how will they respond and interact when they know the truth? How can Lucy possibly save her father's business when Charlie and his father have developed ways to sabotage it?

When I first started reading this book I didn't think I would enjoy it because it felt like there wasn't much happening other than the discussion of candy and the family business. It took me about halfway through the book before I could finally get into it. While the growing relationship between Lucy and Charlie is very predictable, I like how the author used the concept of the candy and family business. That made a cliche story a little more unique. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the use of historical context. The division of class was evident, and I liked how Lucy didn't want to succumb to the pressures of being like the women of this time period. She had a dream, and that was what she wanted to go after, so I liked her determination and passion. Each chapter is told from either the perspective of Lucy or Charlie, which is helpful for the reader to get into both their heads. This certainly wasn't my favorite book, but there were some redeeming qualities.

This book was reviewed for Bethany House Publishers.